By Iddi Yire
Accra, March 13, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has lauded the Cuban medical doctors for their contributions towards enhancing healthcare delivery in Ghana.
He commended members of the Cuban Medical Brigade for their zeal and determination to accept postings to remote areas of the country.
President Mahama gave the commendation when he received letters of credence from Mr Julio Enrique Pujol Torres, Ambassador of Cuba to Ghana at the seat of Government in Accra.
“We’ve all been used to having Cuban doctors, the Cuban Medical Brigade that has been working here, and they’ve worked in some of the remotest parts of Ghana, and they don’t go on strike,” he stated.
“They’re always at work 24-7, whatever happens, and Ghanaians have really appreciated the work ethic of the Cuban doctors who have served here.”
President Mahama said, aside from the Cuban Medical Brigade, many Ghanaian doctors were Cuban-trained, and further lauded them for their work ethics; stating that a lot of the time when there was an industrial action by doctors in the country, the Cuban-trained doctors continued to work because they abide by their Hippocratic oath to provide service to suffering people whenever and wherever.
He said Ghana would like to continue to collaborate with Cuba in the medical field, adding that Ghana believed that it was an area where they could work together.
President Mahama said Ghana and Cuba had had historic relations, and that they had been comrades in the struggle, and so Ghanaians were always happy to welcome Cuban ambassadors.
“I myself have visited Cuba many times, and I’ve had the honour of being decorated in Cuba as a part of the Cuban revolution, and so we’re proud to welcome you,” President Mahama said to the Cuban Ambassador.
“We’re looking to see how we can raise the level of cooperation, and already we have a very good cooperation with Cuba when it comes especially to the health care sector.”
He said there were other areas where Cuba had a comparative advantage in agriculture, in sugar cane processing and growing, and so Ghana wants to be able to acquire that technology and expertise with Cuba.
On the international arena, President Mahama said Ghana stood by Cuba, and that the blockade against Cuba must be lifted.
He expressed the hope that the United States embargo on Cuba could be lifted so that people could travel freely between Cuba and America, and that relations between Cuba and America could be put back on a normal track.
On his part, Mr Julio Enrique Pujol Torres, Ambassador of Cuba to Ghana, conveyed a message of greetings from the Cuban Army General Raul Castro Ruz, their leader, and by the President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez to President Mahama.
He said it was his duty to work hard to improve the Cuba-Ghana relations and told the President that the doors of Cuba were open to him to visit the country soon.
“For us, it would be an honor to come to your presence in Cuba. Well, I will continue working very hard with all my staff and with my country to improve this relation,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to Ghana for standing with Cuba in the international arena in the struggle against the blockade and in the many battles that they were involved.
GNA
GRB